Ponce de Leon's Discovery Timeline: Break for vessel maintenance turns into Indian incident

Ponce de Leon and his fleet had been anchored on the west coast of Florida since the 24th of May. This particular stopover would have a profound impact on Ponce de Leon’s life and set the focus for Spanish settlement attempts in Florida for decades to come. Here, Ponce de Leon’s first efforts were exerted on vessel repair. The caravel San Cristobal was careened, or healed over on her side to access the bottom of her hull.

The careening of the San Cristobal represents the most intensive episode of ship repair undertaken during the 1513 voyage. The careening of a vessel consisted of unloading its contents and heeling it over on its side along shore using the vessel’s masts and block and tackle. This exposed the underside of the vessel, one side at a time, so that it could be scraped of barnacles and other marine growth which could accumulate over time and significantly reduce a sailing vessel’s speed and handling.

The particular maintenance tasks performed on these kinds of vessels are well documented in a 1537 court case from Puerto Rico. These documents describe a circular voyage from Puerto Rico down to the coast of South America and then to Santo Domingo before returning to Puerto Rico. The task carried out most often on this voyage was the caulking of the ship’s deck. Exposed to the tropical sun, planks could shrink, opening deck seams. This caused rain, or seawater in rough conditions, to leak through the deck, spoiling supplies and making life uncomfortable for the crew. Caulking consisted of oakum made from the remains of old lines, or rope. This was kept in place in the seams between planks with pitch or tar and all of which was generally carried on board ship.

Other tasks which may have been carried out at the time of the careening of the San Cristobal included the tarring of standing rigging, the shrouds and stays that support a vessel’s masts, which is subject to rot by the constant process of wetting and drying. Of crucial importance to the San Cristobal, and all ships of the time and since, was the maintenance of the vessel’s bilge pump, the interior leather components of which were in need of regular replacement. Once the San Cristobal’s bottom had been cleared and scraped, any bottom planks found to be rotten would have been replaced if supplies of plank had been included in the ship’s provisions. These were secured by nails always found on board well provisioned and stocked vessels.

During this time they encountered the local Calusa Indians. The Spanish avoided them at first and when the Spanish tried to raise the anchor of one of their vessels, Indians in canoes grabbed the anchor cable in an attempt to tow the vessel. The ship’s boat was sent out and the Spanish chased the Indians ashore where they captured four women and destroyed two of the canoes. After this incident, contact between the Spanish and the local inhabitants was peaceful and they engaged in trade exchanging inexpensive European trade goods for animal hides and Guanines. It was this trade which had such a profound impact on future Florida endeavors. Guanines were gold body ornaments. The presence of these Guanines led the Spanish to believe that western Florida contained gold deposits. They were unaware that Guanines were in fact trade goods which had come to the Calusa from the Taino Indians of Cuba, Espanola and possibly Puerto Rico through a far flung Indian trade network.

As the Spanish were making preparations for departure June 4 they were approached by a canoe with a Taino Indian aboard. The Taino, possibly from Espanola, spoke Spanish. The presence of this Indian is indicative of the mobility that was prevalent among the Indians of this region at the time and is further evidence of trade links between indigenous cultures. The Taino told the Spanish that the local Cacique, or chief, named Carlos, wanted to bring gold to trade.

Not surprisingly, the Spaniards postponed their departure and awaited Cacique Carlos.